Page 8 of Only Fate

“Remember the neighbor I sprayed with the hose after he ran over my petunias?” my abuela asks us.

“Sure do,” I reply, remembering her calling and asking me to come over and give the guy a knuckle sandwich.

My abuela reaches out, taking Terrance’s hand in hers. “He sent his grandfather over to talk to me—an attorney scare, if you will—but let’s just say, he didn’t get me in trouble the way his grandson had thought he would. Terrance asked me out on a date that very day. And now, five months later, here we are.”

My mother swats her black bangs from her face. “And you’re telling us now?”

“I needed to be sure Terrance was a keeper before introducing you.” She leans toward Terrance, shutting her eyes and resting her head on his shoulder. “I never thought I’d find love again after Ricky.”

Myabuelopassed before I could meet him. From what my abuela has said, he was a great man, and they were madly in love. After his death, my abuela left Puerto Rico with my mother and moved to the States.

“Now, Terrance,” my abuela starts, hugging his arm, “Adrian is no longer working at that snotty firm.”

“Adaway and Williams, right?” Terrance asks me.

I nod.

“I wouldn’t want to work for them either.”

“Terrance also practices law,” my abuela says. “But he’s retiring.”

“I started my own firm ages ago,” Terrance adds. “In my hometown.”

My abuela focuses her attention on me. “He’s looking for someone to take over his practice. I think it’d be perfect for you.”

Ah, this is why she was so excited about me quitting the firm.

Small-town law?

I don’t know how interesting that’d be.

But if Terrance has an established firm, it’d save me work.

Terrance nods toward me. “I’m open to having you work for me and then possibly taking over the firm. You can stay with your grandmother and me while we work out the logistics.”

My mother holds up her hand. “Can we backtrack to you twoliving together?”

“We’re getting married,” my abuela says, casually dropping the bomb before whipping her attention back to me. “Now, Adrian, what do you think?”

I scratch my cheek. “Can I have a day or two to consider?”

“Of course,” Terrance replies. “Let’s meet this week. I can show you around the firm and town.”

“Where is this town?” I ask.

“Blue Beech. Have you heard of it?”

I lean inward, a smile spreading over my face. “I sure have.”

Blue Beech,Iowa.

I’ll never forget the town Essie always talked about.

Those two words are all Terrance needed to say to convince me to accept his offer.

“When can I start?” I ask.

4

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